1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle door mirror and assembly method therefor with improved assembly performance.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional manually retractable vehicle door mirror (hereinafter referred to as a manually retractable door mirror) is described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-315128. A conventional electrically retractable vehicle door mirror (hereinafter referred to as an electrically retractable door mirror) is described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 6-27337. The manually retractable door mirror described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-315128 is assembled as follows: a shaft is assembled onto a frame (housing support member), the assembled structure is wrenched into the housing through a front opening or basal opening of the housing, the frame is screwed onto the housing through the front opening of the housing, a basal part of the shaft exposed through the basal opening of the housing is placed on a mirror base, and the basal part of the shaft is screwed onto the mirror base from the underside of the mirror base. On the other hand, the electrically retractable door mirror described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 6-27337 is assembled as follows: an electric drive mechanism including a shaft, a motor, gears, and clutch is assembled onto a frame, the assembled structure is wrenched into the housing through a front opening or basal opening of the housing, the frame is screwed onto the housing through the front opening of the housing, a basal part of the shaft exposed through the basal opening of the housing is placed on a mirror base, and the basal part of the shaft is screwed onto the mirror base from the underside of the mirror base.
The conventional manually/electrically retractable door mirrors require assembly operations to be performed from various directions. Consequently, the assembly operations are complicated and difficult to automate.